


Possessive

by PWN3D



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Aftercare, Developing Relationship, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn IS the plot, eventual BDSM vibes, growing from fuck buddies to lovers, it's a beautiful thing, literally just Inigo and Gerome having sex, lol kidding they have lots of feelings, sometimes they have feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-04-23 22:48:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19160563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PWN3D/pseuds/PWN3D
Summary: It dawned upon Inigo, slowly, that Gerome didn’t want to be in control at all; he’d rather be ruined. Completely.-+-It wasn’t fair that other soldiers in the army had lovely mounts and creatures, so Inigo makes one for himself.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I mean, if you clicked in you already know what you're getting. So here

                The first time Inigo managed to lure Gerome into his tent was the first time Inigo learned what it was like to be used. Where it took others some time to warm up, Gerome was cold from start to finish. The encounter consisted mostly of Inigo’s face being pushed down into the sheets with a powerful hand to the back of his skull as Gerome fucked him into the mattress. It left him gasping, hands clenched into the sheets, toes and legs curling and shifting helplessly behind him as Gerome’s other hand kept his hips in place. Inigo pleaded and moaned into the sheets, but it all went ignored, the pace maintained.

                Gerome’s fingers dug around his hips, pulling him backwards with each push, and Inigo’s head was yanked up and back with a firm tug of hair, eliciting a gasp as Gerome hit a new spot somewhere deep. Any complaints Inigo once had fell away as he melted into the other, his own cock twitching and begging for attention. He writhed a hand around to it and pumped away with practiced ease, panting as the two sensations combined to push him over the edge with a loud, long moan. Gerome finished quietly soon after, stepping back from Inigo, leaving him ass-up on the bed.

                 Inigo looked back at him. Gerome was flushed, composure slightly ruffled, his face red and cock still out. It was a good look. There were no words exchanged, no passionate games or coy smiles, it had just been a means to an end. A small towel, fresh, was kept at Inigo’s bedside for precisely these moments, and he fumbled for it.

                Cleaned up, Inigo pulled Gerome down to the bed before he could leave, the familiar haze settling in. They didn’t share a kiss, or start to confess their deepest dreams or desires, and Gerome hadn’t even removed his mask. Unphased, he wrapped his arms around his companion and thought it a victory when the other didn’t push him away.

 

-+-

 

                Gerome had been gone by morning, all traces of their ventures carefully cleaned away. The only mementos Inigo had were his lingering soreness and some light finger-shaped bruises along his hips and neck. Hardly a way to remember the evening.

                Seeking him out in camp was futile as well, with the masked man mysteriously absent from his usual haunts. Asking around got him a few potential sightings but the other seemed to be avoiding him. Whatever. It wasn’t like he couldn’t stop thinking about him or their encounter or anything.

 

-+-

 

                To his surprise, Inigo found him up late at night during a stumble back alone from his latest efforts to land somebody new. None of the contenders seemed they’d be up to the task like Gerome would be though, so it was a happy surprise. Bold, drunk, and wanting to have his cares fucked away once more, he confronted him. Gerome had no right to look so attractive anyhow; the black armor and the light from the campfire cast him in an ethereal, striking light. Maybe was just the booze.

                “Hey you! You’ve been ignoring me.” It was whiny, needy, and slurred. “Nobody ignores me like that until I move onto somebody else without ‘em knowing… oh, well, I haven’t done that. Super swear. No competition to youuu. Come on, let’s go back to my tent please. You can have your way, however you want.” A tug at his shoulder didn’t even move Gerome an inch.

                “Just go get some whore if you need a lay so bad.”

                He frowned and swayed dramatically, swinging himself around the other’s shoulders so they were face to face, close enough to feel each breath. “I dun want a _whore_ that’s mean. Meanie. I want youu instead. Pleaseee.” In a loud whisper, “I can’t stop thinking about how you manhandled me. I want more. Throw me down and use me again.”

                Unphased, but not quite as dismissive, he responded, “You just want a quick fuck again, then.”

                “Sure!” He chirped back.

                “Fine, maybe you’re the damn whore,” he muttered. Angry, Gerome grabbed him by the arm and led them off to Inigo’s tent.

 

                Owain had been very confused the next day as to why Inigo couldn’t stop smiling when he swore that he heard his cries of anguish and despair last night, his concern tripling when Inigo turned red from his ears down to his hands.

 

-+-

 

                They were back into the ignore and avoid routine, with Gerome gone again by morning. Most of his hookups would give some indication of _something_. A note at the bare minimum. Or as one mercenary he’d been with, an agreement beforehand to never meet or speak again. Not this radio silence that Gerome employed each time. The gaps between their nights together grew longer, and each time they met up Inigo just wanted more. He would have rather enjoyed waking the other up with a pleasurable bout of morning sex, or even better -- _breakfast_ , but instead he woke up each morning after sore, alone, and cold.

It made him mad. A rare feeling for him, so it boiled and seethed, making him snap at his friends’ questioning or any concerned looks shot his way the past few days. It needed to end, and he knew exactly how. Besides, if Gerome truly did not want to continue their trysts then he was certainly strong enough to assert himself.

                He found Gerome again by the small campfire, sharpening some blade or another before Inigo walked up to coax him back to his tent with his usual, effective routine. Before Gerome could push him down, Inigo flipped the tables instead, giving the masked man a shove that caught him off guard. The back of his knees hit the mattress’ side and buckled, sending him sprawling back with a small look of surprise on his mouth.

                “You.” Inigo crawled up onto him, his ass planting itself firmly on Gerome’s crotch as his hands grabbed the other’s collar for leverage. “Don’t get to fuck me like that,” he worked his cock out of his pants, already hard, “to use me up and then just _ignore_ me.” while speaking, he pushed Gerome back by his collar until he held himself up with his elbows rather than the full length of his arms. “I have needs too, and you’re going to start taking care of them.”

                Gerome just let out a strangled sounding noise before Inigo pushed forward until his cock was at mouth-height. He pressed it against his lips, which didn’t open.

                “Open,” he demanded, pressing a knee between Gerome’s thighs. He was rewarded with a small groan and Inigo took the opportunity to shove his cock forward. He let out a heavy breath as his member slid across Gerome’s tongue, hitting the back of the other’s throat. Gerome struggled, gagging at the sudden action, and one of his hands rose to push against Inigo’s hips in an effort at relief. The clench of his throat tightened everything up and Inigo couldn’t help but throw his head back with a soft moan, moving one of his hands up to grasp at Gerome’s hair in an effort to hold him there longer.

                He took his time in pulling back, only doing so when he noticed Gerome’s chest heave with panic, his hands becoming more frantic in their protests. With a quick motion he shoved a few of his knuckles in place of his cock just as the tip pulled out, a strand of saliva falling forth before he let the man beneath him pant and recover. He looked directly at the mask, where he assumed he would find eyes looking back up. “You seem new to this, but you’ll learn quick. You’ll suck my cock until I say you can stop, understood?” He waited for the shaky nod, accompanied by a deep blush; he was careful to not remove his knuckles lest this opportunity escape. “Good. Now breathe through your nose like a good little whore.”

                Inigo pressed forward again, removing his fingers as his cock filled the space instead. He did most of the work, thrusting his hips into Gerome’s face, forcing him to take him at full-length without rest while beneath him Gerome struggled to keep his head at the right spot, slipping down his elbows and pulling back. That needed a fix. Inigo’s hands found their way entangled into reddish hair to pull his head forward with each thrust, keeping full control. Gerome was a quick learner, tongue pressing into the bottom of his shaft with teeth kept out of the way; Inigo gave him low notes of praise, voice low and thick with lust. He gave no opportunity for reply, however, allowing only the noises of sucking his cock. Inigo kept up the pace, steady and careful, having to hold himself back from the brutality Gerome often showed him; it seemed hard enough for him to keep up anyway, judging by the way he struggled to take Inigo into his mouth. Slowly, he increased the intensity of the motion up, the impact becoming heavier with time, until he could feel Gerome reach his limit, groaning and breathing heavily around his cock.

Inigo’s knee, still planted firmly between Gerome’s thighs to keep him from sliding away, felt the neglected length beneath twitch and throb with arousal. He pressed his knee in harder, and Gerome moaned, desperate. The vibration of it was enough to push Inigo closer to the edge. On the next thrust he strengthened his grip on the other’s hair to keep his member fully swallowed. Inigo could feel his cock throb and he languished in the moment, just at his limit; he moaned and smiled down at Gerome, tilting his face upwards with a tug at his hair, only so much as the position allowed. Satisfaction coursed through him at the sight of Gerome’s face, red and slick with a few tears, saliva spread around his lips which had blossomed into a deep red as well. He held him there a bit longer, knee grinding in again to elicit another moan. “I’m feeling generous. I’ll let you in on this, but that doesn’t mean you’re done working, got it?”

The noise he got, along with the desperate buck of his hips upwards against Inigo’s leg was a good enough go-ahead. Inigo removed his cock slowly, controlling the pace by keeping his hand grasped within Gerome’s hair and dragging it out with a final pull. Gerome gasped, coughing slightly, spit trailing from his lips as Inigo moved away.

It gave him a certain satisfaction, the way he had finally elicited such a reaction from the normally stoic man. It dawned upon Inigo, slowly, that Gerome didn’t want to be in control at all; he’d rather be ruined. Completely. Turning away, he worked his way through the thick layers of clothes and armor Gerome wore until finally he was bare from the waist down, his cock standing tall as soon as it was freed. “Hmm.” Inigo sat backwards on Gerome’s lap, hands pressed into the muscular thighs beneath him. “I don’t know… do you even want this?”

“Ah…” A quick look back showed a complete lack of recovery on his companion’s part, mouth still hanging open slightly, cheeks deeply flushed. “P-please…” His voice was quiet and hoarse, Inigo could barely make out the response.

“You’ve been good tonight.” He grabbed Gerome’s member at the base, rubbing his thumb up the side gently before leaning down to swirl his tongue around the head. Another moan, shaky; his hips bucked up in an effort to force more of himself into Inigo’s mouth at once, but Inigo pulled his head back and turned around, letting Gerome’s cock out with a pop. “Naughty. Maybe you haven’t learned, then.”  

There was a sharp inhale as Inigo resituated himself higher up on the body beneath him. Luckily they were similar in height. Inigo’s own cock was still at its peak but judging from Gerome’s desperation, the way he gasped softly each time Inigo stroked his fingers up the length, he was not going to last very long. “Open.” Gerome was much more obedient this time around, taking Inigo’s cock back into his mouth once more. “Good.”

Inigo started to slowly pump his hips, relishing in the pleasure again before plunging his own mouth back into its work. He had a lot more experience, and Gerome lasted only a few minutes under his ministrations before giving in with a loud moan. Well, as loud as it could be, gagged as he was. Inigo could feel the muscles in the thighs beneath him tense before relaxing, collapsing down slightly with a shudder while Inigo swallowed dutifully. A few full, deep thrusts into Gerome’s throat was all it took to finish himself off; he let out a moan of his own, this one not gagged back. Gerome seemed to struggle a bit to stay put, but Inigo planted his hips to keep his cock in place until his climax rolled into a pleasurable glow.

The second Inigo rolled off of him, Gerome collapsed flat onto his back, breathing mouth agape without bothering to wipe anything away. Inigo filed the image away for later. He went to retrieve one of the trusty washcloths to wipe himself down with, taking a swig of water from his flask afterwards, stretching contentedly. Gerome, who normally would have cleaned himself off and been fully clothed by now, hadn’t moved. Maybe he’d pushed him too far, Inigo thought with a deep panic as he looked back at the still-masked man sprawled across the sheets. It had been a bit humiliating, perhaps, for the normally dominant man. He grabbed a new towel and the flask before sitting down to the side; Gerome didn’t look over, but Inigo noted his rough breathing, his fingers trembling slightly. There were still some tears that found their way down his face, sitting at the line of his jaw.

Inigo’s heart fell. “Um, are you alright?” he asked quietly.

Gerome gave a barely noticeable nod but didn’t speak.

“Are you sure? Cause um, I really brought it out, huh. You’re uh, crying.”

Gerome attempted to reply but his abused throat protested. He cleared it and tried again, to more success. “Just watering. Not upset.”

Relief flooded him. Gerome was known for his honesty, even if it hurt others or drove them away, and Inigo’s guilt lessened, happy to rely on that factor. He let out a sigh, a bit shaky. “Okay. I believe you.” The sat together like that for a bit, Inigo looking the other over.

“I… enjoyed. That.” His voice barely overpowered Inigo’s thoughts, as quiet as it was.

Inigo smiled, it had a mischievous edge. “You did? Hmm.” Gerome’s blush came back in full force. “I’m glad. And um, I’m sorry if I hurt you at all, really. Here, let me.” He took the second towel and gently leaned over to clean off Gerome’s face, who hummed appreciatively, not bothering to move yet. The flask was accepted and he took a swig while Inigo fussed over him; eventually, he got the two of them side by side – in the proper direction – on the small bed. Gerome nestled his head in the crook of Inigo’s shoulder, face pressing into his chest as he let Inigo run his fingers through his hair until they fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ft. a new toy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bienvenue, power bottoms.

Inigo was overjoyed to note that Gerome stayed the evening. He was awake and mostly alert already, must have been an early riser; he was sitting off the side of the bed, feet planted on the floor as he redonned his outfit. Inigo found the process rather fascinating and let out a yawn-stretch combo to let the other know he was awake. Gerome looked over then away but did not speak as he continued to carefully adjust each armor strap, working his way up from his feet, hands buckling and fastening each intricate piece with a practiced ease. He’d reached his neck by the time Inigo stood up and hastily threw on the nearest complete-looking outfit he had, running a hand through his hair until it was pleasantly tousled. Done. Despite having been awake for some time longer, Gerome was still fidgeting with everything, making sure his cravat tucked in behind the breastplate properly, that his collar wasn’t creased, and that his mask was perfectly aligned with his hair – his hands stopped when they reached his hairline, feeling just how tousled it was for the first time.

Gerome cleared his throat. “A brush?” His voice was still noticeably hoarse, Inigo noted proudly.

He giggled fondly, leaning over to ruffle up his hair some more. “Nope! Au naturale holds the most appeal, don’t you think?” The action earned an unhappy gasp and a recoil before the gloved hands desperately tried to slick back the strands again. It was cute how Gerome fussed over his looks; it was something he doubted he would have ever known if he hadn’t woken up to it. The guy was normally so put together. Inigo found himself rather enjoying the process of demystifying the mysterious wyvern rider. It was a challenge and definitely made him a top contender among Inigo’s favorite partners, especially now that he knew Gerome didn’t like to dominate nearly as much as he liked it the other way around. Inigo smiled. “Vanity is a sin, you know. You could get punished for that one!” A wink. Gerome stopped fussing and broke into a deep blush. “Maybe later. Anyway. Thanks for staying-in this morning, wanna go grab some food?”

A headshake, no, before Gerome brushed by and left quietly. Inigo let out a huff. Nobody ever wanted breakfast.

 

-+-

 

Spending a night out with a pretty, bubbly woman last night had done almost nothing for him. Neither party had been really interested, but neither party was willing to call off the affair after having gone through the whole song and dance of it. Now, Inigo realized starting up at the dark ceiling, he wanted Gerome. To claim the unclaimable. The new goal was to get him out of his shell, literally; to pry that mask and armor off first chance he got.

After his resolution, Inigo now considered himself an expert on Gerome’s usual schedule. He had to be, otherwise the strategy of ‘avoid Inigo at all costs’ would have been successful, and Inigo simply could not allow that. Nightly campfire checks were no longer working out in his favor so that part of his plan went down the drain quickly. An absentminded thought shared with Severa, a lament about what Gerome could possibly be hiding under that mask, resulted in an admission that she knew he trained most every day at a clearing somewhere in the woods. She’d followed him once trying to spot him without the mask, but quickly learned what a waste of time it was when he kept it on the entire day, training well into nightfall. Maybe that _was_ his face, she mused to him before giving directions to the spot. He’d laughed when she warned him that Gerome was probably the last person that would give him time of day.

 

-+-

 

The woods, then. He brought along a small packed bag with a few goodies. Some snacks too, just in case. A happy hum drowned out the chatter from the trees around him. He heard the familiar noise of metal blade hitting solid tree, and his heart jumped in excitement; Gerome was actually here and Inigo was determined to claim him. Hadn’t he told him last time to stop ignoring him? A branch cracked beneath his foot and the training noises stopped. Gerome was standing alert when he walked through the clearing with an outgoing greeting and large smile, bag slung over his shoulder casually. “Hiya! Fancy meeting you here.”

He didn’t relax. “Why are you here?” Minerva watched from nearby, her eyes fixed on Inigo, teeth and mouth dripping with blood from the carcass in her talons. That was a problem.

“Just here to catch up with you, of course! I mean, not even bothering to stop by and fuck me into some bed somewhere, some gentleman you are. Well anyway, I thought we could continue our ‘discussion’ on why ignoring me is the wrong decision.” Inigo added air quotes then a suggestive eyebrow wiggle to his smile just in case the socially inept man couldn’t connect the dots.

It took a second, but Inigo could spot the blush rather easily. “I see.”

“Soooo. What do you say?”

There was a moment of hesitation while Gerome looked off to the side, over to Minerva, then back to the ground. “Alright.” He was much less crass when not given the lead. Inigo got a kick out of it.

“Great!” he chirped back before giving a pointed look at Minerva. “So, some privacy is in order, then”

They stared silently for a moment while Gerome processed the statement. “You… want to fuck here?” Inigo gave an excited affirmation. “Why.” He looked around the battered clearing; fallen trees, chopped up in a variety of ways and covered in heavy axe marks littered the area. “Where…”

Inigo just laughed at him. “I would have never taken you for a prude, come on, get your lady out of here. We’re not ready for that yet.” He could feel the glare even if he couldn’t see it, but Gerome acquiesced and walked over to talk to Minerva. A conversation. There was a fond head pat, a friendly headbutt in return, before Minerva flew off. What a pair. Inigo waltzed over. “Finally. I swear, you two lovebirds–“

“She is my most trusted companion. Do not sully her name with your vile words.”

Touchy, but Inigo put his hands up in an appeasing gesture. The limits of what things Inigo could debase in the company of Gerome started and ended with Gerome, apparently. “Alright alright, snappy. But since _you_ didn’t learn from last time that you gotta reciprocate _my_ needs…” he got close, moving into Gerome’s personal space. He stepped back in a slight recoil as Inigo poked a finger into the armor at his chest. “…I’ve got to teach you all over again.”

“I feel I reciprocated quite enough last time.”

Inigo frowned. “Nuhhuh. I mean, no goodbye, no breakfast, what is this? We’re pretty regular these days, stop slinking off to hide and start accepting that there are times that I need you around. You don’t get a free pass just because you sucked me off once.”

“I am not –“ he started, incredulous.

He cut him off. “You totally are! But I’m generous. You can make it up to me.” Inigo made his voice sultrier, lazily dragging his finger up and around to Gerome’s chin, dancing small circles around his neck as he went. Gerome’s breath hitched as Inigo took a step closer, his arm slinging itself around a shoulder to pull them closer together. If the other didn’t play along now then this bold outing would be a total bust. Maybe it just needed to be clearer, he’d had good results from being blunt before. “Last chance offer. You do as I say for a bit, we fuck, and I’ll drop the issue. Easy win.”

Gerome considered. “A bit.”

“Yep! Until I say so.” A smile.

The response was quiet. “Okay.”

Inigo felt his excitement hitch up a notch. Things with Gerome were easy once he could actually get a hold of him. “Excellent. See? It’s nice not being in charge, isn’t it. Put down the axe -- Good! Now follow.” He grabbed at the cravat and turned to find somewhere suitable for his planned activities, dragging Gerome along by the expensive-feeling fabric. It was tied quite securely. “This thing is handy huh,” he commented once he dragged them over to one of the fallen logs. Inigo tested it with his foot to see if it shook wildly and when it stayed put he pushed Gerome forward by his neck… only for the man to not budge. He failed to account that Gerome was much stronger and not off-guard this time. Oops. It was Inigo’s turn to blush. Save face, quick. “Get down. On your back.”

Luckily Gerome complied without protest. “Now, take that dastardly armor off.”

“Um. All of it?”

“Yep.” It would probably take forever, judging by Gerome’s lack of enthusiasm, so Inigo busied himself by grabbing at his bag. He had a few fun things stashed inside and he dug through them, overreacting at each object, humming loudly and shuffling through them. There was an audience to arouse, after all. He pulled out the riding crop he stole from the stables. A perfect tool to discipline a rider; a taste of their own medicine. By the time he turned back, Gerome had surprisingly gotten off everything except the gauntlets. He was already a bit hard, Inigo observed with a deep sense of satisfaction. It was the first time he’d ever seen this much skin from Gerome, who seemed rather bashful at being fully stripped down out here, his posture lacking confidence.

The view was rather enjoyable and Inigo failed to understand how the other could be so ashamed when he looked as good as he did. Some distractions were in order. He purred. “Eager, aren’t we?” There was a faint blush as Gerome set his gauntlets down on the ground beside him. Everything was in a neat-looking pile. Of course. Inigo walked up close, leaning in. “Mask?” He gave it a playful poke.

“Stays on.”

It was disappointing, but if it meant they could continue, Inigo in charge, then it could stay. “This time.” No need to linger on it, not when the rest of him begged for attention already. It would be plenty to work with. Inigo pushed at Gerome’s bare chest with the tip of the crop. “Lay back with your hands underneath. Yes, good boy,” he added as Gerome complied, trying to find a comfortable spot on the rough surface. “Now here’s what we’ll do. I’m going to hit you with this, and if you’re good, every ten strikes you can have a reward.” He dragged the crop down Gerome’s torso, letting it follow the curvature of his stretched torso until it reached his hips. “I’ll decide when you’re done. Got it?”

Gerome nodded, his head craning up slightly to look at the crop; Inigo used it to poke his head back down. “Stay put. You can’t do anything about this anyway.” There was a shaky breath in return before Gerome relaxed his neck. Good.

Inigo gave a quick snap of it against Gerome’s stomach, earning a small jump as his muscles clenched up. Another, harder, got him a stronger reaction and the spot reddened quickly; it would make the game too short. He quickly found a good balance, counting out each strike for Gerome who did his best to not react as Inigo peppered the area with the crop.

“And… ten.” The collection of red spots over his stomach looked nice. There’d be more by the time they were through. “Your first present, lucky you.” Inigo sat over Gerome, whose legs were pressed together between his own. He let himself feel powerful for a moment before putting leaning in to put his lips around Gerome’s exposed cock, taking in the length with ease. The action earned a content gasp. Inigo slowly bobbed his head, tongue wrapping around until no part was left untasted. Gerome shifted, trying to angle his hips in a way that would make Inigo keep hold longer and deeper. By the time Inigo pulled back, the increased arousal was apparent, cock reddened and slick. Gerome tilted his head up as if in disbelief that Inigo had stopped.

Inigo kept to his game, ignoring him, rather enjoying the new spot. “Eleven.” He gave a harder snap of the crop against Gerome’s chest, sending the back of his head back down to the trunk below as his shoulders shuddered, the reaction forcibly repressed. He hit the same spot with the next strikes, just beneath his collarbone. Snap. “Eighteen.” Gerome’s shoulders threatened to leave their spot and Inigo could see his hands clench underneath him. Inigo used the next two to strike near each shoulder as a warning, counting them out. “Nineteen. Twenty.”

Gerome let out a shaky breath, body relaxing; the welt from the abused spot, just left of his sternum, was already an angry red. Inigo ran a thumb over it, his own cock hardening as he managed a slight shudder from the man beneath him. “Look how good you are when you listen.” He leaned up to run the finger over Gerome’s lips before pressing it in. “Suck.” They parted in compliance and Inigo relished in the feeling of the other’s tongue wrapping around the digit before he replaced it with three of his fingers, pressing them in deeper. It seemed their last bout had taught him well, and Gerome had no problem giving it his all. Being leaned in like this let Gerome’s cock press up against the cloth surrounding Inigo’s own, so Inigo pressed in and rolled his hips, enjoying the soft moan that Gerome let out around the fingers in his mouth. He kept it up until he could feel Gerome's cock throb, needing more. The perfect place to leave the man hanging. He pulled out his fingers, relishing in the bit of mess it made. Gerome’s tongue slid around his mouth to try and wipe some of the saliva away before he let out a few open breaths, waiting for Inigo’s next action.

“Stay put.” Inigo stood and quickly removed clothing until he was naked from the waist down. He moved back in, a hand finding its way around his own cock, slowly pumping. “You seem to enjoy this, hm?” Gerome’s member still kept its excitement and Inigo marveled at the sight of the submissive man before him. “Who knew you were such a slut.”

He snapped the crop to Gerome’s inner thigh before the other man could even think of responding; his leg jumped, body tensing all the way up through his torso to his neck, a gasp leaving his mouth. “Twenty one.” A similar reaction was earned when he snapped the same spot on the other thigh. “Twenty two.” The welt on Gerome’s chest was becoming rather attractive, so leaving more to admire was only reasonable. He moved the crop over to the first spot, Gerome flinching as it connected. “Twenty three. You’re beautiful like this, you know.” A pause while he hit the next target, the snaps becoming harder and more brutal as they continued. “Twenty four. Not everybody is made for this, but… twenty five. You seem to be.” A few more strikes connected, Gerome’s gasps became louder, and Inigo noticed his fingers clenching into the bark until the knuckles turned white. Inigo worked a few of the spit-lubed fingers into his own ass, letting go of his erection in order to work himself open with a practiced ease. “I’m glad you only answer to me. Twenty eight.” Gerome’s toes were curling in now, feet pressed in down into earth as the strain of keeping his legs steady became harder. His knees worked their way together in an effort to shield the sensitive, bruising spots from the crop, but Inigo tapped at the disobedient joints until Gerome slowly opened his legs back apart; Inigo praised him before snapping the crop against one of the welts. “Twenty nine -- I want you to writhe under me like this more often, you know -- Thirty." He stepped back to admire the sight. "You’re such a nice pet,” he purred at him. The other man just panted out, knees falling together slightly. His arousal seemed higher, despite having only been struck for some time. Desperate for attention, his cock leaked and his chest heaved with heavy breaths, face reddened as it turned to look over at Inigo.

“Would you like your present?” He got an immediate nod. “Ask nicely.”

“I-I would, yes.”

His voice was thick with lust, need; it sent a shiver down Inigo’s spine. The crop was stashed safely in hand before he mounted back up onto Gerome. As fun as the game had been, Inigo wanted some action. He let a drop of spit fall onto the head of Gerome’s cock, rubbing it around quickly with his hand, eliciting quiet moans disguised amongst the rapid breathing. Inigo lifted himself up, letting the length beneath him press against his entrance before he lowered down, barely able to keep the pace under control. Gerome’s head tilted back, exposing his neck as his breath hitched.

Inigo smiled down at him, sitting down to completely engulf Gerome’s length. His own legs trembled as he exerted effort to keep the motion slow, drawn out and controlled. Gerome chewed on his lip slightly as he stifled a groan, hips pushing upwards to meet Inigo’s in an effort to make the motion harder. He snapped the crop against the welt on Gerome’s chest, earning a gasp with hints of something closer to a cry beneath it. “This isn’t about you,” he scolded before coming to a stop. A gentle rub over the spot, swirling with his thumb, right after accompanied Inigo while he spoke. “You lay there like a good pet.” Quickly removing his finger he snapped the spot again; Gerome was better prepared and his mouth stayed shut but Inigo could feel the powerful tense and flinch beneath him.

“Now behave.”

Inigo rolled his hips to start again, letting himself enjoy the pleasure coursing through him as he directed Gerome’s cock to hit at the perfect spot with each rise and fall. His hands fell to the man’s hips for support as he picked up the speed, moaning out as he fucked himself at a steady rhythm, pressing Gerome deeper into the trunk beneath.

He paused when he felt Gerome’s cock throb, body growing tense in apprehension of an incoming climax. Too easy. Again, he sat down fully to stop all movement. The pressure coiled a pleasant heat deep within himself and his own member ached in response. Gerome let out a frustrated noise. “You want to cum?” Inigo asked him, voice low and smooth.

“Please.” The word was drawn out with a breath, and Inigo let out a content hum but didn’t move. “P-please…” Gerome’s hips pushed up to little result, but the desperation was clear. “I want…”

“Do better. What do you want, this?” Inigo’s thumb found one of the dark welts on Gerome’s inner thighs and pressed in ruthlessly. Gerome threw his head back, something akin to a whimper escaping his throat. “Be clear.”

“N-no, I want…” He shifted uncomfortably, gasping as Inigo applied light pressure while dragging across the welt once more; a warning. “I need…” Inigo made to press in, the rubbing stopped. Gerome’s voice was heavy, face deep red with shame or arousal. “Please let me cum.”

“Mmm… beautiful,” he whispered before obliging, removing his thumb from the welt. Inigo leaned forward, one hand finding its way to work his own cock as he lifted up his hips. It took only a few moments before Gerome shuddered under him, his moans choked up under the overwhelming sensation. His head threw back again, this time with a moan, pale neck exposed up to Inigo. The sight of it was incredible and it rolled him up into a climax of his own, milking Gerome’s cock as he went to keep the other writhing and gasping beneath until Inigo’s body finally came to a stop with a shudder.

Strings of cum joined the red marks in littering across Gerome’s torso, which heaved as he wound down, hands still pinned uncomfortably beneath. Inigo praised him quietly once more, dropping the crop off to the side somewhere so he could rub a flat hand across a clean part of the man’s abdomen, being sure to keep the pressure light as it passed over some of the earlier marks. Inigo waited until both of their breathing steadied before he stood up, carefully. Gerome stayed as he was, collapsed completely onto the fallen trunk. His legs sagged out, feet tucked higher up so that they were more relaxed, and his elbows fell down too. After retrieving a towel from the bag – he never traveled without one -- Inigo went over to help him sit up.

He cringed when he saw the angry red marks that the position had pressed into Gerome’s arms; many of them rivaled or surpassed the welts the crop had left. “Ah…” Gerome slowly moved his arms out, rolling his shoulders in an effort to regain control and stop their slight shaking. “Sorry, Gerome. I-I didn’t realize that would happen. It was just supposed to be from me,” he lamented.

Gerome just gave a quiet noise back as he flexed his fingers. More marks were visible up his back, especially over the bony parts of his spine.

He attempted to hand the towel to Gerome, but it was promptly dropped through his fingers. The deep blush found its way up Gerome’s face once more. “Um. My fingers are numb.”

“Oh my gosh I’m so sorry.” He picked it up and again found himself tidying the other up, gently wiping over the other man’s torso. None of the welts he’d left looked too terrible at least. Once finished, he grabbed Gerome’s head and hugged it into himself, much to the other’s surprise if he judged by the small jump. “This was supposed to be easy, like trial run stuff… Probably hurt a bit too much for our first time doing that. Ugh, really, I should have noticed.” Inigo let out a frustrated sigh. He felt like an idiot. Of course a damn tree trunk didn’t feel nice to lay on -- especially with hands pinned under like that. And then he'd had the nerve to sit on him.

Gerome relaxed into Inigo a bit, allowing the gesture. “S’okay,” he said quietly. Inigo made an effort to not mess up the carefully styled hair; the product in it was noticeable, especially when he focused on the sensation the strands made as he passed them under his fingers. “Next time though. A bed.” He paused before adding, the faintest suggestion of a smile on his face: “Please.”

Inigo’s heart skipped a beat. “Next time. Just for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consent is sexy, kids.
> 
> I'm still figuring out formatting here, thanks for bearing with me. 
> 
> <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inigo lets Gerome back on top with only one condition.

“Hey – did you appreciate the choice?”

“Mm?”

“In props! I thought that the crop was perfect you know, taste of your own medicine. That whole jam.”

“I do not use a crop.”

“What -! Why not? I thought riders used them…”

“For horses. Wyverns have scales.”

“Oh.”

“But. Might work if you hit harder.”

“You — is that a challenge? You’re smiling. I can’t believe you, I’ll have you know…”

As he delved off into his long tirade, boasting of his talents and ability to tame any creature, Gerome _laughed_. It was quiet and odd sounding and Inigo thought it fit him perfectly.

 

-+-

 

Inigo did some more humming on his way back to camp, off to go wash up after his victory before going to bother somebody else. The taverns would still be open and bustling if he hurried to get into town, the odds of him finding a nice stranger to joke around with were good. He could feel it. Besides, Gerome had grown frustrated with his presence quite quickly, wanting to go back to _training_ of all things. He couldn’t believe it. In return Inigo had pressured the other to ignore him less, and to perhaps seek him out for once.

“Fine,” had been the exasperated response. “Now leave me be.”

 

-+-

 

So, he’d let Gerome be. Hadn’t sought him out at all. It’d been a hard few days, but he was a patient man. Nights out on the town were plenty fun. The morning after one such night, however, Inigo wished glumly that he’d stayed in. Maybe done some training instead. Lucina called to him as she walked by, her voice piercing through the veil of his hangover. He groaned.

His punishment for being late to Lucina’s Monday Morning Training was to sort through some forgotten storage crates; the ones that were always packed up last when they moved and had never been opened by man in hundreds of years. Or something like that, if Inigo took Owain’s inspiring words at face value. They just looked dusty and boring to him. A notepad, a candle, and poorly sharpened pencil were all she’d given him before demanding he take inventory and one did not simply ignore a Lucina-request. She’d know too, she’d warned him, if he skimped out. He sighed and started in on the work, prying open the top of the crate and sending up a large plume of dust.

Some time in, after counting out sixty-seven empty ceramic vulneraries, at least forty odd bits or pieces of straps for armor, and exactly four cleaned-off cow skulls, he heard somebody walk in.

“Lucina,” he whined without turning, “I’m working, I swear. Come on – oh –” he turned quickly when he heard the telltale sign of a metal-plated figure rather than the leather stuff Lucina preferred. “Gerome?” He looked imposing lit only by a candle. Inigo smiled, a glint of something mischievous under it. “Hey.” There was an awkward pause before Inigo tried to prompt his companion into talking. He had a hint of hopeful excitement. Maybe Gerome wanted something fun. “So, what brings you here?”

Gerome moved forward and grabbed the front of Inigo’s shirt, much to his protest. “This one’s my only good training shirt – hey!”

“You. I-I—” Inigo could barely make it out, but Gerome – Naga help him – was blushing despite his anger. It did wonders. “The marks you left. Are so…”

Hopeful excitement indeed. Inigo’s body couldn’t help but perk up a bit more before his smile closed his eyes up in a ridiculous grin. “Amazing? Incredible? Beautiful in every way?”

“No. They’re so frustrating I just.” An angry huff. His fists clenched up, pulling together the front of Inigo’s shirt. “Riding Minerva. Hurts.”

“Ooh.” Inigo decided that this was worth whatever extra chores Lucina would give him later and quickly abandoned whatever sorting task he’d been up to. Gerome let go, his frown holding an air of disgust. Hypocrite. “Hey now, you like them, I _know_ you do.”

His arms crossed. “That is. Part of this problem.”

“What – you like them too much? Which ones? Tell me all about it.” He made his voice hit all the right notes that any target – Gerome included, apparently – seemed to tune into more strongly. The sultry one. It was well-practiced.

“My legs. Why did you have to—” He let out an angry sigh through his nose, looking away.

Inigo leaned forward more, eyes locked on the damn mask in a vain hope that he could see his expression through it somehow. “What’re you gonna do about it? Hmm?”

Gerome kept silent. Two could play that game. He was curious to see if Gerome was actually capable of propositioning him for once. They stayed there for far longer than Inigo cared to admit. The hopeful excitement died down, withered in the face of allergic-to-feelings Gerome. He let out a quiet hum. “Disappointing. Here I was hoping you actually wanted something…”

It was quiet, but _finally_ , “I… do.” Inigo raised his eyebrows expectantly. “Want you.”

About time. He could still string him out though. “Oh? I see. Well I’m working right now, thank you though.” Gerome let out a noise, surprised maybe.

“You. Are not doing anything important.”

Inigo turned to hide his giddy smile. He loved this game. “Actually I _am_ , thank you. Lucina herself has assigned me this mighty task of which I am to carry out. Only me! Surely you understand the honor.”

Gerome let out a frustrated huff. Endearing. Inigo’s heart couldn’t stand it. “But…” He turned his head over his shoulder to where he could just barely see the other figure looming by the door. “If someone were to say, wait for me in my tent until I was done, I might be more open to their request. Work a little faster.” Gerome was quiet so Inigo turned back around with a shrug. “I dunno. Seems pretty fair to me. How does that sound?”

“Ah.” He shifted his weight across his feet. “Want me… to do that?”

“Yep!”

Gerome’s head tilted just slightly as he thought it over. “Acceptable.”

“Great!” Inigo chirped back. “Now shoo, go get ready! You better be more excited to see me than you are now, too.”

 

-+-

 

He waited until it was just dusk. As much as he’d enjoyed the idea of Gerome waiting for him well into the late evening, the goal was not to invoke anger. It was just supposed to be fun. The storage crates were full of lovely things to help with that, so he’d spent the small chunk of time picking out a few things to take back. He put some close to his skin under his shirt and others shoved deep into his pockets to hide them, just in case; it felt almost criminal. It took noticeable effort to keep his excitement under wraps during the journey through camp. Any potential intruders or distractions he spotted were dodged with utmost skill and absolutely zero desperate dashes through the rows between tents. Finally, he slipped into his own tent, letting out a content breath as he slicked back his hair trying to save face. Cool. Collected. Gazing forward, his face grew into a pleased smile.

“Look at you. What a good listener you are.” Gerome was waiting, sitting noticeably well-postured on the side of Inigo’s bed. He’d jumped a bit at Inigo’s appearance, his hands clasped tightly together gave the impression that he hadn’t been doing much of anything while waiting. There was a single candle lit but Gerome wasn’t reading or writing by it. The armor had been removed and placed into its neat pile, the cravat even folded into a careful triangle on top this time; Gerome was left clad only in the thin layer of clothing he wore underneath. It was black, simple. Tight.

Inigo walked over so he could lift Gerome’s chin up. If the other were a normal partner there’d be eyes there, gazing up romantically, but instead all that looked back were the blank, empty white eyes of the mask. So painfully _shy_ for somebody who asked this of him. There was just something about Gerome made Inigo want to simply tear away all the well-groomed protective layers and see what really went on under there. Even seeing him naked hadn’t held quite the same satisfaction as normal thanks to the distance the mask created. For now though, Inigo would play nice. If he was to keep up this trend of putting the other into vulnerable situations then he’d have to work slow, build him up.

“You look nice without armor on, you know. Better, even.” There was that blush. “So bashful aren’t you. Now, what did you want?” Inigo held onto his chin to keep their gazes locked. He could wait.

Gerome made a quiet sound and tried to look away, but Inigo held firm. His thumb found Gerome’s bottom lip. The brief realization that they’d never actually kissed crossed his mind; he was not a particularly intimate partner. Their trysts were full of new things, however. “You were so dominant, what changed, hmm?”

Gerome didn’t try to move his head away again. Perhaps he’d just closed his eyes. “It’s better. What you do.”

Answers were good. “Ah, lovely. You want me in charge, then?”

“Yes.”

Finally, an answer without hesitation or an odd pause. Inigo smiled at him again, eyes half-lidded and content. “I can do that. You’ll listen to me again tonight.” It wasn’t exactly a question per se, but he wanted to make sure the response was positive once more.

Gerome’s response this time was breathier, but more importantly: another yes.

“Good,” he purred back before leaning forward, pulling Gerome’s mouth to his. Inigo considered himself something of a kissing connoisseur and could tell immediately that this man was the opposite; he didn’t seem sure about what to do with anything and wasn’t exhibiting much need for dominance, so Inigo pushed his tongue in while raising a hand to the back of Gerome’s head to keep close. He pushed his body forward too, other hand snaking its way up onto a shoulder, putting a leg over a leg, all until Inigo was sitting rather fully over his masked partner, skin already hot to the touch. Gerome’s hands found their way up to Inigo’s hips, grabbing on strongly as he let Inigo take over. With a gentle bite of his lower lip, Inigo pulled their mouths apart.

He could never tire of the way Gerome looked up at him, mouth just open like that. They’d have to start kissing more. “I brought you something today, since you’ve been so good.” The hand he had wrapped around Gerome’s head snaked its way down, sliding around his neck, fingers trailing lightly over the muscles in his torso until they reached low enough to press in at the fabric straining over Gerome’s cock. “Want it?”

His ministrations earned him a quiet gasp along with a nod.

Inigo pulled the handful of assorted straps he’d nabbed out from his pockets and shirt and threw them to the side best he could, keeping only one that seemed suitable enough in hand. He shifted until he sat to Gerome’s side. “Give me your hands. No – not in front, turn around – move them behind you, yes. Great!”

“Uhm –"

“Don’t “um” at me, you’ll like it. Trust me.” The worn leather strap proved highly effective in its task at cinching Gerome’s wrists close and locking them together, overlapped, as Inigo buckled the metal clasp. He took a moment to admire it, running his fingers up Gerome’s arms briefly before asking, “That okay? Too tight?”

Gerome moved his hands experimentally, shifting his body slightly as he tested the new range of motion before turning back towards Inigo. “It’s fine.”

Inigo pushed Gerome gently until he pressed his back up against the headboard. “Excellent. Now, you tell me if you need a break, okay? Say a funny word or a color or something, alright?” Another nod, his face redder this time.

In one swift motion, Inigo had them both naked from the waist down; he’d spare the shirt this time, as the way it clung around his shoulders and chest was rather fetching. His hand found its way easily to Gerome’s cock, grabbing it around the base before slowly working its way up, building into a slow and easy rhythm. The moment he noticed Gerome’s breath hitch and give in to the first signs of pleasure, he moved his mouth up to capture another kiss. This time the exchange wasn’t as stiff, and Inigo greedily took advantage of the opportunity to let his tongue dance around Gerome’s, enjoying the way his head lolled back against the headboard.

His heart leapt as Gerome moaned quietly between them, his shoulders tense as he held them back to avoid pulling at his tied hands. On the next stroke, Inigo pulled fingers up so they ran over the head of his cock, squeezing in as they went. Another moan, and Inigo pushed his tongue in deeper, head tilting to the side for leverage. With a heavy push down so his hand clasped around the base once more, Inigo pulled back to look Gerome over.

An idea. He turned back to grab at the straps, taking the thinnest, almost ribbon-like one before turning back to his waiting partner. Carefully, being sure that there were no folds or creases, he tried the ribbon around the base of Gerome’s cock, in place of his fingers, in a simple knot that would be easy to undo later. It was tight, but not painfully so. “Mm. There we go.”

“W-what is this for.”

He smiled coyly at him. “You’ll figure it out soon.” By his bedside was a tin of lube, which he also grabbed for, taking a generous amount onto his fingers before chucking it somewhere off in that general direction once more. “I want to have lots of fun with you tonight.”

Most of the lube went towards working down Gerome’s member again, causing any hesitation to melt away as he watched Inigo’s hand deftly spread the substance over every inch, squeezing in tight and dragging the action out until his breaths were sharp once more, any noises of pleasure covered up.

Soon, Inigo was merely pumping the length, the original goal of his task set aside, eyes locked on Gerome’s face. He could feel the cock throb beneath his grip, excitement built up quick, Gerome’s head pressed back into the headboard. The fabric around the base though looked even tighter now as it held back any further reaction; Gerome let out a frustrated noise as Inigo stopped.

“Figured it out yet, hm?” He got a betrayed-looking frown in return, which made Inigo laugh slightly before finally giving in to his own desires. He moved up until his hips hovered just above Gerome’s, one hand going to his shoulder for support as he leaned forward, other hand moving behind to work in one of the lubed fingers.

He made a show of it, stretching himself out slowly, occasionally grinding his hips down to elicit another moan from beneath him but otherwise ignoring his partner who watched every movement, need etched in every line of his body.

Finally ready, Inigo paused, excited. “I want you to fuck me now.”

“Untie me.”

A smile and a sultry sounding ‘no’ were all he responded with.

Gerome huffed, but pushed up without his hands, offer accepted. It showed off his core strength rather well, Inigo admired briefly before finding himself pushed back onto the bed, position compromised. He spread his legs around Gerome’s hips regardless as the other found himself back on top. But not in charge. The thought was satisfying.

Inigo gasped, his hands free to clench at the sheets as Gerome’s cock finally found its way inside, pressing all the way in. He barely registered the way the man above him moaned, quietly, as soon he worked his way up into that brutal rhythm Inigo loved him for; his hips angling up in an effort to take more of him in. The pace was punishing for both of them, their composure both quickly slipping away as Gerome fucked him into his own bed once more.

 _There,_ it hit just the right spot, throwing Inigo’s head back, the beginnings of a cry of pleasure stifled as he clamped his mouth shut, the noise dragging out as he tried in vain to muffle it from any potential passerby. Gerome did not seem hindered by the lack of hands, but his whole appearance was flustered, and the moans that worked their way out far surpassed his normal reactions. It only fueled Inigo on more, the heat coiling in his own cock leaving it begging for release. He refrained from giving in, wanting to drag out the brutal way Gerome used him as long as he could.

Soon however, any thoughts on stifling his noise long abandoned as he felt himself pushed over the edge, his back bending up as Gerome fucked him into a climax, ruthlessly continuing while Inigo moaned and writhed under him. Any efforts to drag his hips back were met with the other pressing himself in harder until there was simply no more space to do so.

“Aah, okay okay –” Inigo pressed a foot to the other’s hips and pushed himself away, the contact to his skin still electric-feeling as he wound down, his own member still riding the last waves of pleasure. Ignoring the mess on his own abdomen, he put a hand to Gerome’s chest and pushed him back until he sat back onto his legs and feet, slumped. “Okay thank you, see, better?”

“N- _no_.” His voice sounded unlike himself, it was desperate. “Untie me,” he begged. His breaths were ragged and it was clear he had been straining his hands against the restraint Inigo had put on them; looking down he could see Gerome’s cock red, ready to give in the moment the ribbon was undone. “I n-need…”

“Shh. You do a little more and I’ll think about it, okay?”

Gerome protested, asking again to be untied, the words quiet and blurred together. He broke off into a gasp that closely resembled a cry as Inigo clasped a hand around the swollen length, giving a slight squeeze as he slowly stroked over it. Quiet murmurs of praise accompanied the action, complimenting the way he moaned helplessly as Inigo kept up the slow pace. Gentle, but brutal enough given the level he was at. Inigo could make out bruises over Gerome’s thighs, the marks he had left not too long ago still quite noticeable. He ran his free hand over them, the action letting him feel the muscles coiled underneath as Inigo worked his cock. Gerome’s head tilted down as he avoided Inigo’s gaze, and he leaned forward far enough that Inigo could see his fingers hopelessly open and close around themselves, wanting to grab hold of something to help him tolerate the sensation but unable to reach either the restraint or the bed below.

Inigo took his hand to push him back up again, appreciating the way the other’s chest heaved against it, panting. “Lay back.”

Gerome listened, albeit a bit shaky, but soon was laying back against the headboard.

“Good pet.” There was a quivering breath as Inigo removed his hand for a moment. The moan Gerome let out when he resumed with heavy pumps down the full length of his cock was deep, but more importantly – _loud_. Inigo watched every bit of his reaction keenly, enjoying how Gerome bucked up his hips into his hand until Inigo hardly needed to move at all.

His voice was deep, but still desperate. “Please.” The word was drawn out with a lovely noise as every inch of Gerome’s body screamed out for release, tense and nearly quivering all over.

Inigo hummed thoughtfully. “Are you sure?”

“Y-yes!” he managed to huff out at him.

“So frustrated.” He smiled, satisfied. “Alright then, here…” With an easy motion, his other hand found one of the knot’s ends and pulled it loose.

The effects were immediate, with Gerome’s body slumping back while Inigo gave a few more hard strokes before pulling his hand back. His moaning rivaled Inigo's previous for a moment as his climax rippled through him before he quieted down, collapsed. The view was quite nice and he watched Gerome’s chest heave with a sense of pride in his own. Messy, though. He went for the towel.

He didn’t even bother to ask this time before doing clean-up for both of them, Gerome making quiet noises as he worked around his cock, causing him to look up and over, mouth still slightly open. Inigo just gave him a cheeky kiss on the lips, passing his tongue over once before pulling back with a smile.

“Y-you...” His voice was quiet, he sounded drained.

“That’s something like what you wanted, yeah?”

Gerome had the dignity to blush, but only hummed in response, head falling back against the headboard while Inigo fussed about the tent, straightening the sheets back up slightly, moving water and a candle closer by while he shot looks over at Gerome. Stupid mask. Didn’t let him read the mood at all.

Inigo tapped the back of his shoulder. “Come here, lemme get that before your hands go numb again.” It got him another tired-sounding noise, but Gerome leaned himself up and forward without much protest to let Inigo remove the restraint. He got it off and rubbed over Gerome’s wrists, checking them; a bit red in places, but not chafed or bruised. Excellent. He wanted one more thing, however. Just one last command. “Stay, tonight.”

“Yes,” was Gerome’s tired response.

There was a happy twist in his chest. He climbed out of his shirt before climbing over Gerome to the emptier side of the bed. The candle was extinguished before he got them both settled under the blankets, again laying close together. Gerome was cold. He always seemed cold, now that he thought about it, so Inigo leaned up to grab the heavy blanket kept folded at the foot of the bed and pulled it up over the two. He ran hot, but he’d tolerate it.

Gerome mumbled something akin to a thanks.

Another twist of happy. Goodness. “Of course,” he responded quietly. Inigo pulled the other into him more until his head settled back into the crook of Inigo's arm; the closeness was nice despite the mask pressing in its sharp corners. It'd surely leave marks, but he didn't much care. In addition, this time, Gerome slung an arm of his own over Inigo’s stomach, providing a much-appreciated relief as the cool skin pressed against his own. What a leech. Inigo smiled and fondly ran his fingers through his companion’s reddish hair. No protests this time.

Just before Inigo drifted off, Gerome mumbled something else out, shifting himself to reach at up at something. With an easy motion, he removed and set his mask down carefully to the side, close, keeping his face pressed down and out of view. Inigo’s couldn’t help but want to peek, to pull at his hair and force the other's head up to look, but decided the trust and happiness was more worth it and let his companion settle back in. This time, no sharp edges pressing in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up on the menu is a night on the town -- I wonder how that will end up ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inigo takes Gerome out to a tavern.

“Mmhuh – wha,” was all Inigo managed when Gerome shot up, back straight, early in the morning, the sudden motion waking them both. Could he even call it morning? The sky was just barely tinted blue and sure, there were a few birds chirping at each other, but everything else was otherwise quiet. He moved to sit up as well, slightly concerned, but a hand pushed him back down into bed.

“Stay.”

Inigo hardly registered the response, not really awake. “Mhm…” The blankets were nice and warm too… Damnit. He forced his eyes back open; the outline of Gerome’s brow and closed eyes were barely visible in the dim light, mask not yet on. “Y’sure?”

“Yes.” Gerome turned away, presumably redonning said mask. Shame.

“Mmkay... see you ‘round, mm?” He settled back in with little protest, pulling the blankets up to his chin, and drifted off as Gerome quietly put all of his armor back on and left Inigo once more.

Inigo truly awoke much later to the sun beaming in through the weave of the canvas walls and -- much to his chagrin -- alone. The nerve. Once more, the other man had packed up any trace of his presence and left. Maybe next time he’d just tie Gerome to the bed, he thought as he looked at the few straps scattered around the foot of the bed. Or… hm. He had a few ideas. They were good motivation to get on with the day, especially if he wanted the timing to work out.

 

-+-

 

Inigo thought himself lucky when it only took a day and a half to find Gerome again. Cynthia and Owain were locked in fierce debate over a new move they’d invented, and Inigo was glad for the distraction when he spotted the tell-tale black armor glint in the sun as Gerome rounded the corner some ways off. He was a bit giddy about it, truthfully, and the hasty goodbye he gave his friends hardly even registered through their enthusiastic quarrel. “Gerome, Gerome!” he sang out, causing a few heads to turn as he ran by to catch up to his target.

“Inigo.” The tone didn’t seem very pleased.

Inigo smiled, unaffected. “How do you walk so fast? Man, where’ve you been? Got any plans tonight?”

Gerome just frowned at him.

He hadn’t stopped walking either so Inigo fell into pace beside him. “Why so grumpy, hm?”

He scoffed. “I am not grumpy.”

“You are too.” Inigo chuckled, quickly disguising it under a cough.

The ‘hmph’ he received was the only reply before they walked through camp for a bit, Inigo matching Gerome’s brisk pace; however, Inigo could only cope with the lack of conversation for so long so he tried one of the questions again. “Soo, any plans this evening?”

“No.”

Gerome seemed to realize his mistake when Inigo’s face split into a mischievous smile. “Great! So you’re free then.”

“No…”

He tutted before replying, “The answer can’t be ‘no’ for both.” Inigo grabbed his shoulder in an effort to get him to stop walking. Gerome shrugged off the hand but humored him anyway, stopping and finally turning to look at him head-on. “Okay so here’s the plan. You come out with me on the town tonight. I haven’t invited anyone else, so it’ll be just you, me and the booze.” He almost added ‘like a real date’ but decided to leave it out.

This earned him a familiar frown. “I have no interest in such frivolity.”

“Not even if you can boss me around for a bit after?”

Gerome sighed.

 

-+-

 

Inigo whistled along happily, stretching his arms as they walked up the road, sun just dipping behind the horizon. Gerome was quiet, brooding, but tolerated Inigo’s numerous stories about this particular tavern rather well. Inigo supposed he was lucky the other had agreed to this outing at all; he had only agreed on the condition that they tend to Minerva first, a truly stomach wrenching task. The noises her fangs made eating through that poor goat’s corpse would never leave his mind. A shudder made its way up just as they reached their destination.

“We’re here!” he chirped at his unenthusiastic wingman, who hardly even turned his head to look at him, instead staring up at the establishment. Music could be heard through the wooden walls along with the rumble of people talking loudly, some singing; the windows all along the large inn-tavern combination were lit with a pleasant golden glow. “Try to not look too excited. Come on.” He held open the door and out spilled the cheer.

The armor attracted quite a few stares right off the bat and Inigo could practically see Gerome bristle up like a cat held over water. Inigo linked him by the arm and led them off to the bar.

 

-+-

 

“Honey, you gotta let go of him, alright?”

The drunk stranger giggled, commenting on how strong the two of them must be as she grabbed at the cape on Gerome’s armor. Inigo tried again, her friends also chiming in with an effort to pry her away from Gerome but to no avail. Poor lady seemed barely conscious with the amount of booze wafting off of her. Eventually one of her friends physically removed her, apologizing as they left.

“Ahh, turns out you’re a terrible wingman! You’re supposed to let me get in on that. Sauvely be like, ‘ah, young lass, here is my equally mysterious and lovely companion, Inigo!’” His voice deepened in a mock impression of his masked companion’s.

Gerome just grunted in return, hunching down further over the bar’s counter. He’d been refusing to stand for some time and was closely guarding his current glass. Inigo felt like a bit of a lightweight next to him, with a full swarm of both empty and full shot glasses surrounding him; the full glass in his hand didn’t last long and was quickly downed without much fanfare. Inigo grabbed one one and, experimentally, slammed it back in his effort to keep up. A noise of disgust followed immediately after. “How d’ya drink this stuff?” Gerome didn't bother to respond, instead grabbing another shot.

The bartender hurried up, eager to offer more to this mysterious yet high-paying patron. Gerome gestured for several more while Inigo asked for beer, still trying to get the taste of the last drink off his tongue. He hoped that at the very least all this drinking would lead to _something_.

 

-+-

 

Inigo waved away the bartender like shooing away a fly. He hadn’t planned on Gerome being such a heavy drinker, he’d been hoping for more entertainment from putting him out of his element; unfortunately, he seemed rather at home at the bar.

“’m cuttin’ you off.” Gerome protested briefly amongst his hoard of empty glasses. “S’enough! C’mon now, les get outta here.” There was a noise that could have potentially been a reply before he made to stand. Inigo could tell immediately that there was no way he was going to stay upright alone and quickly moved in, slinging one of the armored arms over his own shoulders.

Once outside, Inigo tried to let Gerome stand on his own. “Oop—” His hands found their way to Gerome’s shoulders to steady him. “There’y’are.”

At the very least he wasn’t frowning anymore, in fact, once Inigo focused his eyes a bit better in the dark, he could make out that Gerome’s expression looked almost pleasant. What a nice change. “Ah. Inigo.” He leaned forward, clumsily reaching his hands out forward. “I remember stuff and …. and you say I _don’t_.” His words slurred, something which coaxed a laugh out of Inigo. “You promised. Me.”

“Ahh, what did I promise ‘gain?”

“I get… get what I want… yeah?”

And oh – his voice was husky, and suddenly he was entirely in Inigo’s personal space, hands clumsily clasping at his shoulders. “Hmm… whaddya want then? Tell me.”

Gerome thought for a moment, falling silent, and Inigo took the opportunity to pull them away from the tavern’s door, out of the light cast by the windows. Once they rounded the corner into the small alleyway, Gerome pushed Inigo against the wall, holding firm. “Y’can use me. How you’d like. Good at that.” Words seemed difficult for him to muster and his voice was thick with lust, but he managed.

Inigo smiled, his own hands making their way down Gerome’s chest. “You suree? Hm? On your chance to be in charge?”

“ _Yes_. ‘m not gonna beg…”

“Ah, but it’d be _so_ nice. I love when you do.” His hands pushed at Gerome’s so that Inigo could flip himself around. It wouldn’t do to have his own back to the wall. He clearly underestimated his partner’s sobriety, however, and Gerome stumbled forward a bit, leaning heavily on the spot Inigo had just vacated. He chuckled a bit. Seem he’d need some help. “Gerome, get’n your knees.”

Gerome listened well, hands sliding down the wall as he concentrated on following the command without completely toppling over.

“S’good. Turn ‘round now. Perfect.” Inigo’s own voice grew sultry. “All the ladies in the bar, beggin’ for you, and here y’are.” His fingers caressed at Gerome’s face, pulling it up. An intense feeling of fondness welled up in his chest as Gerome leaned into the touch. “All for me, huh.” He let out a quiet hum of agreement as Inigo worked off his belt, clumsily working his pants down until they fell towards his knees, bunching up above his boots. “Who needs a whore when I’ve got you? C’mon now…” A hand found its way to the top of Gerome’s head and he roughly guided his now eager partner in towards his growing erection.

His tongue worked its way sloppily around the base of Inigo’s cock, a hand wrapping around Inigo’s legs for support as he leaned in, finally taking in the full length with a soft noise of his own.

He was clumsy at first, inexperience showing but luckily not slowing him down. Inigo watched in awe, relishing the sensation of Gerome’s tongue learning to press in at all the right points, head bobbing without Inigo needing to force him forward. He couldn’t help but moan softly, praising the man beneath him. But it wouldn’t do to be selfish… Inigo shuffled a foot forward until it pushed up between Gerome’s legs, pressing just enough to feel at the restrained cock beneath. He pressed harder.

The action was enough to break Gerome’s rhythm, a heavy breath finding its way out. “Mm , here-“ He pushed Gerome back. “Too many clothes.. fix it.”

Gerome clumsily undid some buckles around his waist until he was able to free himself, pushing his own garments down best he could. As much as he adored the sight of the other completely unclothed, there was no way Inigo wanted to wait for everything to find its way off. “S’good enough. Now, touch yourself for me.” There wasn't any motion or response. This is where he hesitated? Inigo smiled. “Come on now, I love the sight of you, you know.” He leaned over, a hand finding its way back up onto the wall for support. “Doin’ so good for me…” The fingers of his free hand found their way back into Gerome’s hair. His smile grew when he saw Gerome work his hands out of his gauntlets. They found their way to his own cock and slowly began to stroke up the length, the motion easy.

Just as Inigo praised him again, the air between them heavy with arousal, he heard the door to the tavern burst open with a loud group of drunken patrons stumbling out of it. They both looked over, the realization of their rather public location just sinking in. Inigo thought it was rather amusing, but Gerome froze. That wouldn’t do. The group was unlikely to even notice them. Inigo leaned in, whispering, “Hmm. Didn’t say t’stop, did I?”

“Ah…”

Inigo crouched down onto his own knees, hand still on the wall moving until it was just next to Gerome’s head, blocking his view of the alley’s exit. “Here –“ He spat into his free hand before wrapping it around Gerome’s cock, grip tight. A few moments of deep, heavy strokes was all it took to coax a quiet moan out of the masked man, who collapsed back slightly onto the wall.

“Shh. Y’get the idea, right?”

Gerome nodded shakily as Inigo stood back up and his hands found their way back to hard cock, slowly finding confidence back in the motion. The sight of it made Inigo’s own member throb; it was about time for the attention to be back on him now. The noisy crowd was giving one another their drunken goodbyes and a few passed by the alley's exit, casting a dark shadow across them. Time to act quick before Gerome got distracted again. “That’s good… this’ll help you quiet down.” He pressed the head of his cock against Gerome’s mouth which quickly opened to accommodate. 

This time Inigo couldn’t hold back and his hips thrust in a slow rhythm, forcing his way deep into his partner’s throat. He focused on the sensation completely, any noises or motions from the man beneath him ignored. There was a suppressed shudder as Inigo pushed in harder than before, throat clenching, and he eases up just for a moment to let Gerome take in a whole breath before he pushes forward again. Inigo looked down as he fucked Gerome’s face, a breathy moan free to escape his own lips. “So good at this, aren’t you? Keep going.”

Soon he was able to feel Gerome lose focus beneath him, mouth opened as much as it could, tongue still, as he pumped at his own cock. Inigo could barely register the quiet noises that escaped from his partner, the slight sensations of noise adding to it all, his own pleasure beginning to overwhelm him.

He felt the signs of his climax coil up inside of him as he kept up his pace, cock beginning to beg for release. “Ah – Gerome, I’m –“ The motion suddenly bevade all too much and his hips shudder to a stop just as his cock is fully swallowed. His head fell back, mouth open in a quieted gasp as his orgasm rippled through him, cum finding its way down Gerome’s now-abused throat.

A few moments passed while he leaned over the other, cock twitching as he held it for a moment in Gerome’s mouth. He let out a content exhale, tuning back in to the man beneath him. “Mm. Y’lost track, huh?” The little light that reached into the alley let him see Gerome had not managed to bring himself to release fast enough and he looked up rather helplessly at Inigo, head lolling back with his mouth barely shut. “Thas’alright." No punishments today. Inigo sat back down onto his knees and moved in.

Before Gerome could work out a response, Inigo’s hands worked their way back onto Gerome’s cock, starting out with slow, even strokes. He was close at least, judging by how he tensed up, leaning into Inigo as best he could. “I wan’you to cum for me now.” Gerome still couldn’t manage out actual words, but the noise he made as Inigo started to pick up the pace was more than enough.

He closed the distance between them, clasping his mouth around Gerome’s in a sloppy kiss; despite having taken Inigo’s cock for some time now, he still tasted strongly of the sharp alcohol he’d been drinking. The thought was quickly discarded from his mind as Gerome moaned around his tongue and – there. Inigo could feel his cock throb under his hand as he worked it, letting him cum messily onto the dark street beneath them.

Inigo pulled away entirely soon after, careful to stand up to the side. He wiped his hand down the side of his pants as he pulled them back up, strapping everything back on best he could in the dark. Gerome’s breaths were still ragged as he attempted the same, hands fumbling too much to make quick progress. Inigo chuckled a bit and Gerome made an unhappy noise, throat scratchy and angry sounding.

“Shush ’m _drunk_.”

He tried to suppress it, but he was still pleasantly buzzed too and kept laughing as he put out a hand to help the other grumbling man up to his feet. “I can tell!”

“Y-you let…me drink, s’just, a lot…”

“I thought you were tryna have fun, let loose, but,” he stopped to giggle, “turns out yer just a drunk huh.” He slung one of Gerome’s arms over his shoulders and led them out of the alley, fortunately strong enough to hold them both up. “Paid off though, yeah?” He wasn’t sure if Gerome was listening but he kept up a steady stream of chatter as he raced them best he could back towards camp before one of them passed out.

Gerome’s tent was easy enough to find being the only one with a full-grown wyvern wrapped around it, and Inigo pushed him in onto his bed rather unceremoniously just as they found their way inside. Gerome’s head managed to find its way somewhat onto the pillow at least and Inigo pulled up the quilt folded at the bed’s foot over him. Looked nice. Should he remove his mask? It probably wasn’t comfortable to sleep in. The thought flickered briefly through his head, but he decided against it. He figured he may as well take advantage of the opportunity as best he could, however, and he collapsed down next to the still-armored Gerome, letting his happy-drunken stupor wash over him into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :*


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get serious between the two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (we’ve reached 18k words?! what am I doing)

“Blughh…”

Inigo awoke, finally, to the heavy clang of a gate being slammed in the nearby stables – wait. Stables?

He opened his eyes to look around. Ah right, Gerome’s tent. The sun was shining away outside as the camp bustled with activity, voices muffled by distance; he was probably late to something or another, some awful training program no doubt. No loss, this lazing about was clearly the superior activity.

He’d ended up kicking the blanket off of both of them at some point during the night and now a still-armored Gerome was wrapped up close, likely cold, laying on his side with one arm firmly clasped around Inigo’s chest. It was nice. Last night had been fun and his hangover wasn’t so bad either. What a win. It was the first time he’d woken up before his companion too, and it was nice to actually enjoy the moment for once. He yawned, stretching out his legs and feet best he could without rousing Gerome before settling back in, arm wrapping around the other and eyes sliding shut.

There was soon another loud clang from outside, shattering the peace. Inigo opened his eyes, glaring in the direction of the noise as if it would help at all. Gerome shifted a bit but didn’t seem to wake completely, only rousing slightly with a disgruntled noise, the action tilting his face back as he rolled away, eyes scrunching shut –

Eyes, Inigo could see his _eyes_. He swore his heart might stop. Should he look away? There was a brief panic before he decided to stay still and take in every detail he could. Gerome’s wrath be damned.

Looking now, Inigo wasn’t sure what all the fuss over hiding his face was about, it seemed perfectly lovely. The mask left faint lines from where it hid the skin underneath from the wind and sun, the freckles and slight tan stopping abruptly to leave a pattern across his face. Charming. It made Inigo smile a bit. Gerome’s eyes were sharp, smaller than his own with eyelashes that were short but lighter in color than most people Inigo had met. He wondered briefly what color the irises would reflect back at him, perhaps a lovely bright green. On a less endearing note, they were surrounded by signs of sleep deprivation and the deep, almost bruise-like coloring stood out more than the angular tan lines the mask left across his face.

Hmph. At least he seemed to be sleeping right now, he told himself, sneakily wrapping his arm around to pull the other closer again. Training regimens could wait.

 

-+-

 

Gerome woke later, well into the day, to the sound of Inigo sneezing. Twice. Whoops. Inigo hoped his charming smile made up for it.

Apparently it did not as Gerome’s eyes brimmed with anger, brows furrowed. It made little lines between his brows where the skin creased.

There was a sharp jab to his ribs. “Inigo.” His voice was scratchy and groggy.

“Oh – yes, hi.”

“What time?” Gerome sat up, a hand reaching up to his head in response to what was no doubt some sort of headache, but Inigo couldn’t manage to focus enough to respond, too busy obsessing over his mask-free partner. Turned out that there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the color of Gerome’s eyes; they were a light, warm brown and on anybody else they’d be rather plain, but Inigo thought they suited him perfectly, balancing out the brighter color of his hair better than any splash of color could. On top of it all, Gerome was wonderfully expressive with every detail of emotion written out clearly across the rest of his face. Now he looked almost concerned or confused rather than angry and – oh, perhaps it was because he hadn’t been getting a response.

“I love your eyes,” Inigo blurted out. Shit --

A look of sheer panic took over Gerome’s face accompanied by a blush in a shade Inigo hadn’t even thought possible as his hands reached up to his eyes in a fruitless search for the mask. Real smooth move, Inigo. “Ah no no, sorry, I mean, really though, you look great.” The look that earned him made him feel like he was just burying himself a deeper grave. “Uhm. Sorry. It must have fallen off at some point while we were asleep, cause you had it last night. Here, I’ll help you look, alright?”

Gerome avoided Inigo’s gaze best he could. “No. Leave.”

At least Gerome didn’t sound mad, mostly just flustered. Still. Why should he even feel bad anyway? It wasn’t like he’d taken the mask off on purpose. He crossed his arms. “No!” It was rather childishly spoken. If he didn’t reassure him now that really, it was not a big deal, Inigo feared Gerome would avoid him for the rest of his life. “Look, I know this probably isn’t how you wanted this to go down and all, but let’s get you masked back up and I won’t pry or gossip about it or anything. Promise. Okay? Trust me.”

Gerome thought it over for a moment, still facing away. “Alright.”

A quick search around them found the mask wedged between mattress and headboard and Gerome visibly relaxed when it found its way back on his face. Normally Inigo would tease a friend over something like this to break the tension, but it seemed a slightly sensitive subject so he dropped it, just as promised. Instead he resorted to showering Gerome in suggestive compliments, peppering innuendoes throughout while he watched the other fix up his hair and clothing to its usual impeccable appearance, disguising last night’s affairs. It earned him a few light blushes and seemed to diffuse the mood rather well. Inigo was quite proud.

“Here.” Gerome offered out a comb.

“No thanks, I’m quite fond of the morning-after look if you know what I mean, the expertly tousled style,” he paused to make a kissing motion with his hands. “Perfection!”

A small mirror was offered instead. “It’s bad.”

“Oh—” Inigo couldn’t bring himself to disagree. “Okay, you’re right, gimme that.”

Gerome gave him a lopsided smile that made Inigo’s heart skip a beat.

 

-+-

 

“Severa – I have a problem.”

“What now.”

“I think I fancy Gerome.”

“Everybody does, we all talked about him for _months_ remember --”

“Yeah yeah, I know, but like, I think I _like_ him.”

“Oookay. Doesn’t this happen at least once a week? With different people? Honestly. I mean, have you even talked to the guy before?”

“Uhhm, yeah, you could say we’ve, uh, talked. A few times.”

“Oh my god Inigo.”

She leaned in conspiratorially before asking Inigo to tell her more.

 

-+-

 

Night crept up on the horizon, and Inigo felt something like pride bubble up in his chest as he walked through camp. Severa had given him the lovely idea of getting Gerome a present as a showcase of affection, and what a good idea indeed. The guy had sure earned it.

His plan was set in motion and would be ready by tomorrow, the woman had promised. On top of that, he’d been invited out to drink with some friends and he’d _declined_. He felt like a new man. For this decision to be extra worth it he needed to find Gerome. The odds were in his favor at least; the more people in town instead of camp the more likely he was to spot his reclusive companion. After all, he could only wander alone around the outskirts of camp for so long before running into something or other.

A few laps later, Inigo spotted a glint in the shadows by the barracks’ kitchen, and sure enough, there he was, holding a bowl of something or other to eat. Sneaky bastard. “Hey hey! There you are. Are you sure you’re not a stealthy thief kind of guy? You’re super hard to find, I swear.”

Gerome startled a bit, clearly not expecting anybody to have sought him out. “Oh. Inigo.”

Inigo felt his face break out into a smile. “Finally, I’ve been looking forever, come hang out with me – oh my god what do you have? It smells amazing.”

The other seemed taken off-guard. Inigo couldn’t exactly blame him, normally he was sought out for sex and sex alone, but Inigo wanted to get to know him better. His intentions were earnest enough tonight, after having made eye-to-eye contact he couldn’t get the other out of his mind. Plus it was nice to have a not-dramatic companion to hang out with, no offense to his usual friends.

Gerome stood still, silent, just staring – presumably, at least – at Inigo as if he couldn’t believe there weren’t ulterior motives. Inigo couldn’t totally blame him.

“Tell me,” he whined. “Also can I try some? I’m hungry. Walk and talk, come on.” Inigo grabbed at the spot of his arm that wasn’t covered by the armor plates and made to drag Gerome off towards a campfire before he could slink back off into the shadows.

“Hey--” After some griping about him pulling on his clothes, Gerome straightened himself up and walked alongside Inigo, eventually explaining the dish, a medley of meat and vegetables cooked in a sauce whose name Inigo couldn’t reliably pronounce. Gerome seemed more relaxed with time, talking quietly as he explained that he didn’t know what it was called in Ylisse, but that it was a personal favorite. He didn’t protest when Inigo took a few pieces out of the bowl, and he sounded almost _happy_ as he explained the ingredients, the sauce, the whole cooking process while Inigo prompted him with questions.

Normally, by now Inigo would have broken the charm of moment in his efforts to seduce him, but… Gerome seemed so much more content than normal. His posture was relaxed, he finally wasn’t frowning, and he didn’t seem to mind when Inigo sat down next to him, shoulders touching. It was nice. Plus he let Inigo eat a good half of whatever he had cooked. That was nice too.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts, and soon, rather than leading them away to his tent or a dark alleyway somewhere, Inigo found himself trading stories with Gerome about atrocious meals they had eaten over the years and who’d had worse.

 

-+-

 

Inigo leaned up on the counter of the dimly lit store, watching the woman pack up his purchase in a nondescript box. It was the sort of store that you could only find if you knew the right people, and Inigo certainly had enough ins with the crowd that frequented the establishment. Apparently, the lady who ran it was the best in town and Inigo would have nothing less for the occasion. She soon returned, purchase in hand.

It was a collar, black and simple in design with just a single metal ring hung from the front and a belt-like clasp in the back. Inigo picked it up, turning it in his hands. The leather was reasonably soft, not like the coarser types he’d seen before, and he messed with adjusting it while she explained that it could be broken in a bit to become even more comfortable to wear. “It looks perfect, thank you.”

The clerk smiled, friendly. He fished around for the coins to pay the lady; in the meantime, she explained safety, appropriate use, and a whole load of topics Inigo had never paid much mind to but now he’d need to, he supposed. If things went well he was likely to be a repeat customer, judging by the other items she had available for sale. 

“... you’ll need some of this, and oh!” She slid a tin of something over the counter to him before continuing with, “You’re a first time customer, so here’s a free gift with your purchase.” She winked at him. “You’ll both like it, I hope! Now, this sort of product brings up some whole new issues concerning your partner...”

He forced himself to tune in to Captain Safety here and be patient, plastering on a pleasant, practiced smile. He’d get to Gerome soon enough.

 

-+-

                                                           

Turned out, even if he got to Gerome it didn’t mean he’d ramp things up.

Inigo held onto the box with the collar for days, unable to find the perfect moment to present the gift. Even though they fucked the very night he’d gotten it, with Gerome as obedient and willing as ever, hanging on Inigo’s every word and action, Inigo found himself unable to push it further. 

What was one to say? _Here, I got you a collar because you’re_ mine _and mine alone so be my pet, but like, in a sexy way._ Or, _here, put this collar on because I think you’ll look really hot in it and I want to utterly_ ruin _you and I can’t stop thinking about you._ Just ugh. 

Inigo felt rather like an idiot. He hadn’t been so worked up about a partner in ages and the feelings were foreign. It didn’t help that every time he bumped into Gerome around camp, which was happening suspiciously often these days, the guy actually _smiled_ at him. Well, by his standards at least. At most it was a slight upturning of the corners of his mouth. Still, it gave him feelings that were something so much more complicated than just lust, the sort of feelings that, as a Casanova sort of guy, Inigo typically avoided at all costs.

Pah. 

To hell with it, he decided, putting the brief note and gift on Gerome’s bed once he was confident the other wasn’t there. If things went well tonight would be fun.

 

-+-

 

_I got you a present. Be good and meet me just after dark (my place!) if you want more._

_XOXO Inigo_

 

-+-

 

“I’m so stupid,” he ran his hands through his hair, “What was I thinking?” He paced across the small patch of space the tent provided. “I should have just done it in person oh my god.”

Inigo was alone in his tent and for the first time in a long time, he found himself nervous about his upcoming encounter. At the very worst, should Gerome reject the offer he had left, they were still a part of the same army and would spot each other regularly around camp and everybody would see and they would _know_ how much of a total creep Inigo was--

He let out a deep sigh. “Think positive. Happy thoughts, Inigo! You’re confident. Bold.” His attempts at rallying himself sounded rather pathetic out loud and it was a relief that nobody was around to hear them. “Ugh.” 

Perhaps this would be a disaster. In the end, he’d been too apprehensive to give the gift directly, his bravado and confidence faltering each time he tried to bring it up. Gerome wasn’t exactly a ‘let’s talk about whatever this is we’re doing’ kind of guy. Was he? It wasn’t even that serious of a thing in the grand scheme of things. Was it? These thoughts were getting him nowhere.

The sun had just dipped below the trees but it didn’t matter, Inigo had holed up in his tent all day anyway, kept preoccupied by the unique mix of nervous and excited that only seemed to be brought out by Gerome these days. There was nothing more to do but wait, he supposed, sitting back onto his bed with another sigh. 

 

-+-

 

It had been dark for a little bit now, minutes dragging on, hopeful ears straining for footsteps approaching his tent. Just as Inigo’s hope began to dwindle, there! -- footsteps accompanied by the quiet clinking of heavy armor. They paused just outside the tent and Inigo perked up. An armored hand opened the makeshift door and there was Gerome. Inigo had never been more excited to see somebody despite the rather drab entrance.

“Hi!” Inigo chirped at his silent guest while he looked Gerome over for any sign that he had gotten his gift. He could feel his hope wither and die within him when he saw that Gerome was just wearing his normal armor and mask, neither was he carrying anything remarkable. Talk, be charming anyway, he told himself as he managed out a, “What brings you here this lovely evening?” 

Gerome shifted his weight, making no inclination of walking in any further. “Your note. You wanted me.”

“I see. What did you think of it? The note, that is.” When there wasn’t an immediate response he added, “and the gift itself too I suppose, I mean, it’s whatever. I thought maybe you’d like it, judging by how, well, you know.” Inigo clamped his mouth shut before he said something dumb.

Gerome was quiet again, and was that a blush? It was hard to tell in just the candlelight but Inigo was starting to get excited. All signs were pointing towards success right now.

“So…?” he encouraged.

“Ah. I like it.”

Inigo grinned brightly, worries finally fading away in the face of this outcome. Gerome avoided his gaze, looking down and off to the side. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” His voice was the perfect mix of gravely and breathy that Inigo loved. “Very much.”

“So. Where is it?”

Gerome didn’t respond, but instead he reached to pull away the cravat he always wore and there-- underneath was the collar, cleverly hidden by Gerome’s usual attire. 

“You’re already wearing it,” Inigo commented quietly, in awe. The silver ring caught the light as Gerome folded away the cloth into a pocket before looking across at him, waiting.

Commands. Right. He could do that. “The armor, take it off.” Gerome set to it right away, deftly undoing the ungodly amount of buckles and layers the outfit took while Inigo sat back to watch Gerome peel off everything but the collar and mask, a truly incredible sight by Inigo’s standards. Despite his apparent excitement, erection already beginning to match Inigo’s own, Gerome still looked more nervous than usual, which was a concern. “Hey, you good?”

“Yes.” 

Inigo raised his eyebrows at him, unsure. 

Gerome made a quiet noise, perhaps a scoff, and slowly raised his hands to his head, untying the -- oh. _Oh._ Inigo couldn’t help the expression he made, eyes wide with wonder as Gerome undid the mask, finally dropping it down next to the rest of his items. Inigo wanted to jump him right where he stood. Well, that was rather the point. The candlelight flickered against the sheen of Gerome’s eyes to cast a faint glow, combined with the way it highlighted his physique he looked like something straight from a dream; he stared straight at Inigo and finally, even through the dim light, Inigo could see the lust and desire painted across his face. How he had missed that from this odd relationship they’d carved out. He drank it in for a moment.

“Come here.” Gerome obeyed, moving to stand closer to Inigo who remained barely seated on the bed, perked up so much he may as well have been standing. It didn’t take much of a push before Gerome sat down on his knees. Inigo took his hands to Gerome’s face, pulling it up so their gazes had no choice but to lock.

“Fuck, Gerome.” It was the best sight Inigo had ever laid his eyes upon. “You are just, _so_ hot, did you know?” He ran his fingers around the edges of the collar which had been fitted perfectly, neither too tight or too loose. Gerome preened a bit under the attention, eyes half-lidded and lips just barely parted. “I’ll take real good care of you tonight.”

“Yes.” 

Inigo smiled down at him, running his fingers across his face, finally able to enjoy it. “So good.” He hooked his fingers through the collar’s ring and pulled up just enough that Gerome had no choice but to lean in, rising up from his knees slightly, the action earning a heavy breath. “You’re all mine.” Inigo spoke quietly. He almost couldn’t believe it. “Perfect. What do you want tonight?”

Gerome just made a quiet noise, no response, so Inigo hitched him up closer, fingers clasped firmly around the ring. “Tsk. Here I thought you were good. Beg.”

His eyes shut slightly. “Please.” Inigo pulled him up slightly more, the position now definitely uncomfortable. He saw Gerome’s hands twitch upwards towards his neck but he managed to restrain himself. “Ah… I want. Use me. _Anything_.” 

He wasn’t the best with words, but he looked up and, gods, his eyes were just so earnest, need written out so plainly. Suddenly, Inigo’s clothes were stifling, had he always been wearing so many? His hand fumbled at straps and buttons, pulling whatever it could find off. 

“Get up here,” Inigo gave the collar a gentle tug before letting go, haphazardly discarding his shirt somewhere on the floor. It was hard to tear his eyes away from Gerome. He’d never seen somebody want him so badly. “Lay back, lemme just… ah, gimme your hands. Yes, yes, good.” He’d done some preparations at least, the belt wrapped around a rung of his headboard came in handy and was pulled snugly around Gerome’s wrists, cinching them together above his head. “Perfect,” he purred, standing back to admire his work.

Gerome had his knees raised slightly and held together, but it didn’t help cover him up much as his shoulders stretched up and back, hands held limp in their restraint. He looked over, head tilted to the side slightly, watching patiently as Inigo worked out of his pants. “You know, I was going to fuck you face down,” Inigo commented, playing up a blasé tone. “But…” it only took one hand to push Gerome’s knees down flat. “Without the mask here,” he swung a leg up so that he straddled his thighs, “We can get a lot more personal.” 

Gerome looked completely enraptured, unable to tear his eyes away from where Inigo’s cock barely touched his own. Inigo smiled. “Eager, aren’t we?” Gerome let out a small noise as Inigo ran his hand up his chest, leaning forward with it until their faces were close. Gerome’s gaze followed, eyes widened, unaccustomed to such intimacy. It sent him blushing again. Precious, Inigo thought briefly, as their mouths locked. Pinned and tied down like this meant Gerome wouldn’t be able to turn the tables even a little bit and the realization sent a trill up Inigo’s spine. He took the opportunity to let his hands roam, first caressing the exposed skin of his partner’s neck, then working down over his chest. The way Gerome craned up in an effort to make the kiss deeper, harder, just _more_ was plenty excuse for Inigo to escalate -- and quickly. 

Inigo pulled back, and fuck, the way Gerome looked up at him -- it was especially fortunate that he’d gotten ready beforehand. Lube stashed just to the side, he applied a generous amount over Gerome’s member, earning a muffled moan, head falling back. Satisfied, Inigo took a moment to pull his partner’s attention back up by giving the collar a gentle tug. “One rule tonight. You don’t get to cum before me. Got it?” 

There was a shaky nod in return.

He gave a quiet ‘good’ to the obedient man beneath him before slowly lowering his hips down, hands digging into flesh for support, engulfing the top half of Gerome’s cock with a satisfied breath. Gerome’s hands pulled up against the belt as he let out a ragged breath, eyes peering up just in time to watch Inigo take him in entirely.

He felt Gerome test his range of motion, muscles pulling in a subtle effort to push up from underneath him. Inigo flashed down a teasing smile, trying to not reveal how even the small motion was enough to hit just the right spot, a warm pleasure building. “Want more, hm?”

There was hushed begging in return, none of it comprehensible, but still good enough for Inigo. 

Slowly, he dragged himself up. “You know I can’t resist you,” he breathed out before falling back down, the motion hard. It got him a small gasp. It was good motivation. Inigo worked into a steady rhythm, basking in the way Gerome seemed to completely fall apart under him. At first he’d managed to keep his reactions quiet with subtle, heavy breathing the only give-away, but soon his head was thrown back entirely, eyes fluttered shut, barely stifled moans escaping more often as Inigo fucked himself, paying little extra attention as his own pleasure began to overcome anything else.

Only until Gerome let out a desperate, “Inigo,” voice quiet, almost embarrassed, “I --”

Inigo slowed his pace, but didn’t stop entirely, instead switching to heavy strokes that sent both of them even closer to the edge. If he was already this close then Gerome had probably been holding himself back for some time; the thought was distant, however, when compared to the note of excitement it gave him to keep the other so desperate. “Not yet.” 

Gerome’s eyes were wide as he watched Inigo fall back down, knees quivering slightly. His hands balled up into fists, taut against the belt, muscles around his core flexing tight in his efforts. Inigo continued, watching every detail of his partner until his own cock throbbed needily. 

“You wanna cum?” Inigo hardly recognized his own voice, it had never sounded so… lusty. 

“Please. Yes.” The reply was instant, disrupted by ragged breathing.

“Ahh -- just a little more,” he managed out, fingers clenching in hard around Gerome’s hips as he leveraged himself. Gerome bit his lip in his efforts to stay quiet, refraining from begging further while Inigo slid back down the length, letting it fill him up entirely before repeating the motion, ramping up speed until it felt nothing but white-hot pleasure and a need for release. “Fuck, I’m gonna…” A loud moan escaped his throat as he buckled over, barely held up by his arms, pleasure pulsing through him as he came out freely over his partner’s chest. He noted distantly as he fell into a pleasant afterglow that Gerome had followed suit rather immediately; noises drowned out by Inigo's own, tied hands pulling strongly against the belt causing the leather to creak slightly. His torso seemed to collapse down as his climax wound to an end, cock still deep in Inigo, throbbing but not able to move any pinned as he was. Now his muscles began to relax as his breathing quieted too. 

He shifted a bit as Inigo pulled up, careful to not make a mess, before collapsing down on the empty spot to Gerome’s side. There were little red marks where Inigo had dug his fingers in and he admired them, running a hand gently around them before lazily making circles across Gerome’s skin, exploring the different spots across his body with soft gestures. There wasn’t any protest or response, so perhaps he enjoyed it, Inigo hoped. Attention was attention, after all. 

After some time Inigo sat up, reaching for the towel. Gerome looked over, eyes sleepy, rimmed with shadows. Inigo added ‘get this beautiful bastard more sleep’ to the top of his goal list before smiling back. “You get rather tired after, eh.”

Gerome blushed but denied nothing, expression somewhat embarrassed.

Inigo laughed just a small puff of air through his nose before cleaning him off. 

“Hands?”

“Hmm. What about them? You look real nice like this, I think I’ll keep them there, thank you.”

Gerome’s eyes made an expression that looked almost distraught, but didn’t respond. 

Perhaps that was why the mask was so important, what an open book, Inigo thought. It was an endearing quality. “I’m kidding, here --” he sat up and undid the belt’s buckle. “You’ll keep the collar on though…?” The tone was hopeful.

Freed hands found their way in front of Gerome’s face as he flexed his fingers, rotating his wrists in an effort that was likely to warm them back up. “Yes.” He paused for a moment before adding in a quiet voice, “I can wear it a lot. It. Um. Doesn’t show. Under my armor.”

Inigo felt a bolt of what he could describe only as pure happiness jolt through him as he settled in more comfortably next to his partner. The word echoed through his head a bit. “I’d like that.” Gerome curled into him more as Inigo fixed a blanket over them both, breathing evening out remarkably quickly. Hopefully he wouldn’t wake up like normal, Inigo thought distantly as he ran fingers through red hair. 

He thought he was hearing things when Gerome mumbled out a quiet ‘me too’ before setting off into sleep’s clutches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> l m a o  
> My description lied! There are many feelings! Ahhh. 
> 
> Thanks for waiting! I was on vacation. And thank you so much for the responses, hits, and general love <3 I greatly enjoy reading your messages. 
> 
> It's a tough world for us out here now that Three Houses is out. I've just started playing it -- the male gay options are quite the joke! Oh well :(


End file.
